


A Pack of her Own

by TeamGwenee



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: AU-Elia Lives, AU-Lyanna Lives, AU-Rhaegar Lives, Anti Lyanna, Anti Rhaegar, F/M, Post Robb's Rebellioon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 15:36:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16726158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamGwenee/pseuds/TeamGwenee
Summary: A disgraced and humiliated Queen Elia finds an unlikely ally.





	A Pack of her Own

The Stark woman had been so happy to hear there was a delegation coming from the North. So much so that for once she actually deigned to grace the Throne Room with her presence in order to greet the dignitaries. She fidgeted in her seat like a child, twitching at the grey silk of her gown. Rhaegar smiled fondly from his throne at his exuberant young bride, something akin to pleasure breaking through his melancholic face. The lovers had been indulging each other in their misery since their return from Dorne, and now they shared each other’s joy.

Elia sat straight and rigid in her seat, trying not to notice the looks of pity coming her way. This was the first grand state occasion since the war, and many were curious to see how the two Queens played their role. No doubt even now bets were taken on whether their royal highnesses would remain cordial or if there would be harsh words thrown down like gauntlets.  Some suggested Elia was actually partaking in Rhaegar and Lyanna’s little romance, being Dornish and all.

(Clearly being Dornish amounted to having no sense of self-respect of preservation. The lust, Elia did not mind being accused of. But the _stupidity._ It was almost worth losing her dignity just to put such rumours to rest.)

No Dornishmen were present, of course. After Lyanna and Rhaegar returned to King’s Landing, and Lyanna’s complicity in Rhaegar’s humiliation of Elia had been revealed, dearest Oberyn had placed lover over sense and lead a procession to the Tower of Joy. There he and a crowd of a thousand strong burned the tower down, along with two crude effigies of the royal lovers.

Oberyn even had time to create a new song to mark the occasion. Several in fact. The bawdy “Wolf in Heat” was a particular favourite, especially in taverns and inns. Whereas it seemed the ladies of Dorne quite preferred “The Dragon’s Tiny Sword”, in which on first hearing Elia recognised a few of her own letters home being used as inspiration.

Oberyn’s demonstration, although satiating to Elia’s pettier side, only ended up causing her more harm as Rhaegar banned all other Dornish from the Capital until Prince Doran issued a formal apology for the display and cut the tongues from all who participated, along with any who sang those sordid songs.

And so, Elia was left stranded, surrounded by strangers who resented being placed in the service of the less favoured wife. Her only consolation was that Elia knew her family and her homeland still loved her, her family craved her presence and her ladies longed to re-join to her.

Lyanna Stark could not boast the same. A handful of Northern Lords sent their daughters to her service, but they were petty, minor lords who could do no better. The Great Lords of the North would not allow their darlings to suffer her toxic influence. Not even Ned, her dearest Ned, would write.

And if Lyanna questioned why the Northerners would suddenly extend this olive branch, her joy and relief kept her from dwelling upon it.

Only Elia noticed the peculiar choice of Rhaegar’s words. During his tenth attempt at coaxing Lyanna into doing her duty, he informed her that visitors “recently come from the North” were to be present. Surely, if the people of Lyanna’s home had finally come to greet their queen, Rhaegar would have mentioned that the first time he had been sat outside her chamber doors.

When the Northern visitors turned out to merely be merchant sailors who had happened to have been to the North, invited at the last minute by Rhaegar, Elia could not be surprised. Lyanna’s own shock had been so great she turned quite numb, with only Rhaegar’s firm hand on her shoulder keeping her down. And yet her sudden fury was quenched with equal speed when the Merchants brought forth a large cage, containing a gift for their ‘Wolf Queen’.

“A Direwolf!” Lyanna breathed, standing to inspect the great beast. A young wolf, not yet full grown but no longer a cub. Young enough to be tamed, but still a ferocious beast. Through the metal bars yellow eyes stared warily out, growling at all these strangers who stood far too close. Elia thanked that Aegon and Rhaenys had been sent back to the nursery with Jon after being trotted out for display. She had had enough of her children being threatened b Northerners.

Lyanna reached into the cage, her bliss in this reminder of her home blinding her to the fire in the beast’s eyes. She escaped with her hand by the skin of her teeth, eyes stricken and humiliated.

Elia barely contained an eye roll. Would did the wretched girl think would happen? No doubt she thought her Stark blood would suffice to winning over the creature. Well, Lyanna had no wolf pack, any more than Rhaegar had an army of Dragons. Elia longed to remind the pair that their sigils were nothing more than pictures on flags.

Elia cast another look at wolf. It really did seem young. Not just in size, but the eyes had not the look of a born and blooded warrior, but of a child dragged from its home and plunged into a poisonous court filled with cold eyes and strange faces. Elia knew that feeling all too well.

Her hand was in its cage and running through the poor creature’s fur before Elia even realised she had stood up.

Silence reigned as the wolf stepped back, tense and snarling. It sniffed Elia’s hand, frozen in the cage. Elia trembled, enough wisdom returning to her to keep her from making a sudden move. Just as she was about to step back and make her escape, the wolf nudged Elia’s hand with its nose and nuzzled into her touch. Laughing breathlessly, Elia stroked the lonely beast, removing her hand only as the creature grew agitated as the crowd began to applause.

She walked beside the cage as the wolf was borne out, to be taken to the palace stables, murmuring reassuring words all along and promising the creature to join it soon.

More applause followed Elia as she made her way to her seat, her steps light and head whirling at this unexpected conquest. She vaguely wondered why Lyanna looked at Elia with such loathing, before remembering for whom the gift ad originally been meant for.

Elia seated herself daintily beside the throne, gave Lyanna a gracious nod, and returned her attention to the remaining dignitaries.

She wondered if any of them had a dragon egg in their possession.


End file.
